Category: Podcasts

I would like to recommend a group of podcasts that are hosted by Charles Max Wood. They are all similar in format – a panel of people that can change from show to show discussing development topics. You can find them all at DevChat.tv. I have not listened to all of the podcasts he hosts, but based on the ones I do listen to, they are all recommended.

Here are the ones that I do listen to:

• The Ruby Rogues is the first podcast of his I started listening to. I was interested in learning more about Ruby, but quite a few of these are good general developer oriented podcasts that would be beneficial even if you don’t use Ruby.
• Javascript Jabber, as you can guess from the title, is JavaScript focused. A lot of these are focused on various JavaScript libraries.
• The Freelancer’s Show is targeted to consultants and freelancers. Some of the shows are focused on good development strategies or habits to develop. I think this is valuable as well.

Chuck also has 3 more podcasts that I don’t have time to listen to, but check them out if they are of interest to you. I find all of these help me stay up-to-date with development trends.

I would like to recommend Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History Podcast. I had heard several recommendations for this podcast, but had not gotten around to checking it out. I finally did and think it is a great podcast. I have only listened to his series on World War I and I have gained lots of insight.

In my schooling, WWI was largely overlooked and the teachers always jumped to the 20’s, the Great Depression and then World War II. From this podcast, I have learned a lot about the origins of this conflict, how it changed society and how it is still affecting us until now. It is more than just a recitation of facts. He brings history alive with insights and stories from a unique perspective.

I will warn you though, this is a long podcast series. They appear to be coming out quarterly and each episode is 3-4 hours long. Even at that, I still consider it a good investment of time. I am looking forward to the completion of the WWI series. I also intend to listen to more of the archive. He also has a podcast called Common Sense which I would recommend. It is focused on current events. I have only listened to one of those and enjoyed it as well.